Vehicle Description
The automobile business has spawned some rather unlikely
partnerships over the years, with one of the most unusual of those
coming in the early 1950s between Chrysler and the Italian
coachbuilder Carrozzeria Ghia. At the start of the decade, Chrysler
was saddled with a line of staid and conservatively styled cars
that desperately needed an influx of excitement. Ghia was in need
of business after facing heavy damage from bombing raids during
World War II. So in order to encourage Chrysler to utilize their
skills, Ghia built a car as an offering of sorts. That car was the
Plymouth XX-500 of 1950, a stylish and elegant four door fastback
based on the pedestrian Plymouth P20 chassis. The newly appointed
Chairman of Chrysler, K.T. Keller along with Virgil Exner, Chrysler
styling chief and a champion of Italian design, were suitably
impressed and called upon Ghia to add a welcome dose of excitement
into Chrysler's product line. Over the span of the next decade,
more than two dozen "Idea Cars" would be produced by Ghia for
Chrysler and the relationship between these two storied firms would
last well into the 1960s. Unlike many dream cars of the era from
Detroit, Chrysler's Ghia Idea Cars were fully engineered and
drivable machines, ready for the road. Yet despite the positive
response and press accolades, Chrysler brass was reluctant to
green-light mass production, as they were still feeling the sting
from the failed Airflow project. But Chrysler's export manager C.B.
Thomas insisted he could sell Ghia-bodied Chryslers to wealthy
buyers, and managed to get official approval to commission six
"Styling Specials", with further approval for Ghia to build 12
additional cars. All Chrysler Ghia Specials were powered by the 180
horsepower FirePower Hemi V8, backed by either a Fluid Torqe Drive
four-speed semi-automatic transmission or a PowerFlite fully
automatic unit. The first car was a sporty, short wheelbase
fastback, while the second car, commissioned for C.B. Thomas
himself, was a more elegant notchback coupe that inspired the
limited production run of just 18 similar cars. Today, Ghia
Chryslers rarely become available on the open market, and they are
highly sought after by collectors for their rarity, impeccable
Italian style, and outstanding performance. This 1953 Chrysler
Special Ghia was delivered new via Chrysler's French importer,
Soci�t� France Motors to wealthy industrialist, Leon Coulibeuf, who
made his fortune in concrete electric poles during the post-war
reconstruction. Coulibeuf was a motoring enthusiast and gentleman
racer who competed at the Le Mans 24 Hour race, among many other
events. The Chrysler was in good company, as he was also known to
have a Mercedes Benz 300SL Coupe, Porsche 356 and Alfa Romeo 1900
in his stable. No doubt proud of their acquisition, the Chrysler
Special was shown by Madame Coulibeuf at the 1953 concours
d'elegance of Enghien-les-Bains in France, and was featured in the
September 1953 issue of the French magazine L'Action Automobile.
The Chrysler disappeared for some years before being acquired by
Jacques Pelve, a Chrysler dealer in Brittany. He discovered the car
on a factory property, rough but complete and still wearing its
original livery and the same license plate it had worn when
displayed at Enghien-les-Bains in 1953. After owning the car for
many years, Mr. Pelve embarked on a painstaking, multi-year
restoration, beginning in the 1990s and completed in 2001. The
original Chrysler build-sheet confirmed this car still wears its
original FirePower hemi engine, and it is understood the body was
remarkably sound when it was restored. The car was refinished in a
period appropriate two-tone blue color scheme, with a complementary
light blue cabin piped in white. Today, this elegant and
sophisticated motorcar presents in very good condition throughout.
The restoration has mellowed slightly, showing some use, but paint
finishes and detailing remain very good for a 16 year old
restoration. It is an inherently gorgeous machine that eschews
traditional 50's glitz for understated elegance with its sculptured
panels and intricate details. It rides on a set of lovely chrome
wire wheels, wrapped in period correct wide-whitewall tires. Chrome
trim and detailing remains in excellent condition, and the body is
very straight with excellent panel fit and alignment. Light blue
leather lines the cabin, covering the seats, door cards and rear
quarter panels. The seating surfaces do show some light use but
remain very attractive overall. Carpets are very good, as are the
door panels and headlining. The dash is fitted with the original
radio, clock and KM-calibrated instruments. Some of the chrome on
the steering wheel shows very minor pitting, which does little to
detract from the overall quality of the cabin. Moving around to the
front, the engine bay presentation is good, with the original
matching-numbers Firepower Hemi appearing in good and tidy order
with driver-level detailing, and the engine remains in very good
running condition. This car is optioned with the four-speed
Fluid-Torque-Drive transmission, shifted via the column-mounted
lever. Upon its restoration, this car was invited to the Louis
Vuitton concours d'elegance at Bagatelle in 2001. It also won the
award for "most exciting design" at the concours d'�l�gance of
Zoute Grand Prix in Knokke, Belgium in October 2014, and was shown
at the prestigious Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza in 2015. �It
remains in fine order throughout and is equally suited for touring
or mid-level show. This Chrysler Ghia Special is a breathtakingly
stylish, rare and truly international motorcar from the brief but
brilliant postwar coachbuilding renaissance.
